title: In memory of Taiwan’s murders

taiwan-subdivisions: 中山 霧峰

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In memory of Taiwan’s murders

True crime aficionados seek to understand the country through its sinister past
Navy conscript Huang Kuo-chang’s death in 1995 caused an outcry over cover-ups of abuse and bullying in the military.Photo courtesy of Office of Historical Suspense Investigation and Research

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In the spring of 1870, Lin Wen-ming (林文明), local strongman and scion of the powerful Lin family of Wufeng (霧峰林家), strode into the Changhua County magistrate’s court surrounded by a dozen of his bodyguards, and was never seen alive again.

Aged 36 and in the prime of his life, Lin expected to walk out of court with impunity, untouched by some 47 land and property disputes that had been filed against his family. Instead, he was ambushed and cut down by order of the magistrate Ling Ting-kuo (凌定國), who had long harbored a grudge against the Lin family.

His decapitated head was displayed on the city wall.

In death, Lin was immortalized. The shocking use of a judicial killing to settle a personal vendetta was the talk of the nation even among his contemporaries. Lin’s untimely demise, woven into the tale of his family’s fortunes, became part of a wider social history “of the settling of a new land, of the jostling of many newcomers in an ill-governed frontier region, of the patterns of local power and class differentiation that emerged,” Johanna Meskill writes in A Chinese Pioneer Family: The Lins of Wufeng, Taiwan, 1729–1895.

Last year, Lin’s killing was retold for a modern audience in a Public Television Service (PTS) docudrama special, based on a story and research developed by the creatives at the Office of Historical Suspense Investigation and Research (重大歷史懸疑案件調查辦公室, OHSIR).

Defying its name and logo — designed to resemble an imperial bureau — OHSIR, a project run by local content agency Power of Content, is turning murders of a bygone era into the stuff of viral social media posts, historical drama and literary non-fiction. In the process, it turns basic human curiosity and obsession with mortality into difficult questions about what it means to be Taiwanese.

‘COLLECTIVE AMNESIA’

I first became acquainted with Taiwan’s deadly past on a walking tour of Taipei. For one afternoon in the seventh lunar month, a guide from OHSIR breathed suspense, terror and humanity into unremarkable buildings and streets — the sites of spine-chilling deaths that took place in and around Zhongshan District (中山), an area already popularly associated with all sorts of vices.

On the edge of Qingguang Market (晴光市場), we looked out on the street where a butcher made a humble living at her beef stall until that day in 1972 when her children found her stabbed to death at home in an armed robbery. At a wastewater drain under an overpass, I swatted flies away and listened to the discovery, in 1950, of a woman’s body at the number 13 water gate along the Tamsui River’s course farther east. Outside Jinxin Building (錦新大樓), which holds the dishonor of being “Taipei’s number one haunted house,” I learned how 23 tenants had perished in fires and a murder-suicide in the mere 44 years since its construction.

I was not alone in my morbid curiosity; the tour was fully booked a month in advance. Some 250 people have participated in OHSIR’s tours since the project started two years ago. There are more than 20,000 followers on OHSIR’s Facebook page, where Wang and other writers post lyrical, detailed accounts of true crime linked from their Web site (ohsir.tw).

On online forum Mystery (mysterystring.com), almost 2,000 fans get a deeper fix by discussing theories of unsolved — or unsatisfactorily solved — crimes.


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British teen gets suspended term over rape claim

‘MITIGATING FACTORS’:The judge said he took the woman’s age, clean record and remorse into account as about 150 people, including Israelis, protested outside
Women protest in support of a British teenager who was convicted of falsely accusing a group of Israelis of gang rape outside a court in Paralimni, Cyprus, yesterday.Photo: AFP
A Cypriot court on Tuesday handed a British teenager a four-month suspended prison sentence after convicting her of falsely accusing a dozen Israeli tourists of gang rape.

The 19-year-old smiled and hugged family after the sentence was handed down following a months-long trial that her lawyers have said was littered with investigatory and legal mistakes and issues, including repeated refusals by the judge to consider whether she was raped.

The teen has said that she was coerced into withdrawing her complaint that she was raped on July 17 last year by a group of Israeli youths in Ayia Napa, a holiday resort popular with teenagers.

She fled in distress to her own hotel and was examined by an in-house doctor, who called the police.

The woman was sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for three years.

Judge Michalis Papathanasiou said that he took into account the woman’s young age, clean criminal record and remorse.

“All mitigating factors were taken into account, but it does not negate the seriousness of the offense,” he said, adding that 12 individuals were briefly detained on the basis of her accusation.

Outside the courtroom a group of about 150 people demonstrated, including about 50 Israelis — mainly women, but some men — who traveled to Cyprus to offer moral support to the woman, shouting “blaming the victim is the second rape” and “Cyprus justice shame on you.”

Papathanasiou had to raise his voice to be heard over the chants.

On Monday last week, the court found the woman guilty of public mischief, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, a fine or both.

She was convicted of filing a fake report about being sexually assaulted.

Lewis Power, a British lawyer who is part of the woman’s legal team, said that she would leave Cyprus by the end of the day.

An appeal to the Cypriot Supreme Court “will begin in the next few days,” but it was not clear when any case would be heard, because the “wheels of justice move very slowly in Cyprus,” he said.

The case has highlighted “a gaping chasm in the treatment” of victims of sexual assault in Cyprus relative to other jurisdictions, Power added.

The woman has insisted that an attack took place, but that she was pressured to withdraw her complaint during overnight questioning from police and with no lawyer present.

British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab has said that he has “very serious concerns” about the treatment of the woman, who had been banned from leaving the island and whom her lawyers have said is suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Twelve Israeli youths who were detained for questioning were swiftly released after the woman recanted her accusation. They were not required to give any evidence at the woman’s trial.

Cypriot newspapers have reported that authorities were poised to give a presidential pardon.

A senior government source told reporters that was premature and would depend on the court sentencing, but that Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades was following the case closely.

The case has drawn a harsh spotlight on Cyprus, which is popular with British vacationers, and calls to boycott the island.


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Australia’s government is sticking firmly to a position that there is no direct link between climate change and the country’s devastating bushfires, despite public anger, the anguish of victims and warnings from scientists.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Australian Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor have said that Australia does not need to cut carbon emissions more aggressively to limit global warming, even after a three-year drought and unprecedented bushfires.

Instead they have said that Australia, which contributes 1.3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, but is the second-largest emitter per capita behind the US, should be rewarded for beating its emissions reduction targets for this year.

“When it comes to reducing global emissions, Australia must and is doing its bit, but bushfires are a time when communities must unite, not divide,” Taylor said in e-mailed comments to reporters yesterday, while he was busy at bushfire relief centers in his constituency in New South Wales.

Stepping up efforts to reduce emissions would harm the economy, especially if they hurt Australia’s exports of coal and gas, the government has said.

The country last year overtook Qatar as the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas.

“In most countries it isn’t acceptable to pursue emission-reduction policies that add substantially to the cost of living, destroy jobs, reduce incomes and impede growth,” Taylor wrote in the Australian newspaper on Tuesday last week.

“That’s why we won’t adopt [opposition] Labor’s uncosted, reckless, economy-destroying targets that will always result in a tax on energy, whether it is called that or not,” he added.

Taylor did not detail exactly how cutting emissions would raise the cost of living.

Australians have complained that due to a lack of energy policy, power prices have risen substantially in the past several years, placing a heavy burden on household incomes, even as energy producers are gradually shifting to cheaper renewable sources of energy.

Taylor’s comments came after criticism Australia faced at the UN climate summit in Madrid for blocking ambitious action to cut carbon emissions.

Environmental groups have said that Australia would only meet its emissions targets by including old carbon credits the government wants to count from the 1992 Kyoto Protocol.

Scientists have said that climate change is a key factor in the destructive wildfires.

“One of the key drivers of fire intensity, fire spread rates and fire area is temperature, and in Australia we’ve just experienced record-high temperatures,” Australian National University Climate Change Institute director Mark Howden said.

The burning forests are a double whammy for the environment, as they add to carbon emissions while also removing carbon sinks, which would take decades to grow back, Monash University Climate Change Communication Research Hub director David Holmes said.

Australia’s bushfires have since September last year emitted about 350 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equal to two-thirds of the country’s annual emissions from artificial sources, Global Carbon Project director Pep Canadell said, citing data from NASA satellites.

To others, from the opposition Labor Party and film star Russell Crowe, who skipped the Golden Globes awards to fight bushfires in Australia, to US Senator Bernie Sanders, the link is clear between climate change and Australia’s fires, which have killed 25 people, destroyed thousands of homes and razed more than 8 million hectares of land since September.

title: Australian leaders reject climate change-bushfire link


title: Spurs’ three-point barrage shocks Bucks

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DeMar DeRozan on Monday had 25 points and the San Antonio Spurs had a season-high 19 three-pointers to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 126-104, snapping the Bucks’ five-game winning streak.

“It’s big — confidence building,” DeRozan said. “Letting us know we could compete with the best teams in this league.”

The Spurs finished 19-for-35 on three-pointers in handing the Bucks their largest defeat of the season.

Patty Mills added 21 points, including being six-for-10 on three-pointers. LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay added 18 points each, going a combined four-for-five on three-pointers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Donte DiVincenzo added 16 points.

Four games after setting a season-high with 18 three-pointers against the Detroit Pistons, the Spurs bested that mark when Gay hit the team’s 19th three-pointer against the Bucks.

Aldridge has been crucial in that run, going 16-for-23 on three-pointers in his past five games.

“With LaMarcus joining us on the three-point line and having the ability to knock them down, it does wonders in terms of spacing,” Mills said.

Aldridge has shot so well on three-pointers that the Bucks almost overlooked DeRozan’s mid-range game.

The Bucks, whose last loss was on Dec. 25 at Philadelphia, maintain the league’s best record at 32-6.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich somewhat agreed when asked if this was the Spurs’ most complete game of the season.

“It’d be hard to argue against that, I think,” he said. “The physicality was good. We started out the third quarter a little poorly as we have ... but I thought we were more consistent tonight in our physicality and executing game plan. We were more consistent. It was a good night.”

On Saturday, the Bucks defeated the Spurs 127-118 at home, but could not maintain their early momentum in rare back-to-back games at home.

The Bucks opened the game with three straight three-pointers, but the Spurs went on a 13-4 run in taking their first lead at 15-13.

DeRozan blocked an Antetokounmpo layup during the run, tying up the 210.82cm forward as he drove through the lane and forcing a jump ball.

Seven players would score in the first quarter for the Spurs, including nine points by DeRozan.

The Spurs followed that up with 38 points in the second quarter, their highest total in that quarter all season and third-highest in any quarter.

The Spurs were 12-for-20 on three-pointers in the first half in building an 18-point lead and tying a franchise record for the most three-pointers in any half.

Also on Monday, it was:

‧ Mavericks 118, Bulls 110

‧ Nuggets 123, Hawks 115

‧ 76ers 120, Thunder 113

‧ Jazz 128, Pelicans 126

‧ Pacers 115, Hornets 104

‧ Wizards 99, Celtics 94

‧ Magic 101, Nets 89

‧ Kings 111, Warriors 98

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US government proposes rules for the use of AI

FLEXIBILITY CRUCIAL:The White House said the US and its global partners need to remain hubs of innovation to counter authoritarian uses of AI
The White House yesterday proposed regulatory principles to govern the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) aimed at limiting authorities’ “overreach,” and said that it wants European officials to likewise avoid aggressive approaches.

In a fact sheet, the White House said that federal agencies should “conduct risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses prior to any regulatory action on AI, with a focus on establishing flexible frameworks rather than one-size-fits-all regulation.”

The comments come at a time when companies are racing to integrate AI and deep machine learning into their businesses to remain competitive.

However, the technology raises ethical concerns about control, privacy, cybersecurity and the future of work, companies and experts have said.

US President Donald Trump’s administration said that agencies should “promote trustworthy AI” and “must consider fairness, non-discrimination, openness, transparency, safety and security.”

As an example, the White House cited the US Food and Drug Administration, which is considering how to regulate the use of AI and machine learning technologies by medical device manufacturers.

“Europe and our allies should avoid heavy-handed innovation-killing models,” the White House said. “The best way to counter authoritarian uses of AI is to make sure America and our international partners remain the global hubs of innovation.”

Last year, the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence issued a set of ethical guidelines and EU leaders are considering regulatory action.

Some US states have raised concerns about AI applications.

California’s legislature in September last year passed a three-year ban on state and local law enforcement using body cameras with facial-recognition software, the latest curb on technology that some say poses a threat to civil liberties.

Some US cities have also voted to bar facial-recognition technology by law enforcement.

US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, who will talk about the administration’s AI strategy at the CES trade show in Las Vegas later this week, said in a statement that the “principles set the nation on a path of continued AI innovation and discovery.”

In February last year, Trump signed an executive order for federal government agencies to dedicate more resources and investment to AI-related research, promotion and training.

A 2018 study from consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers said that 30 percent of jobs around the world are at risk of automation by the mid-2030s, including 44 percent of workers with low education.

The study also found automation could boost global gross domestic product by US$15 trillion by 2030.

The White House held a meeting on AI in 2018 with more than 30 major companies from a variety of industries, including Ford Motor, Boeing, Amazon.com and Microsoft, vowing not to stand in the way of the technology’s development.

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title: Inter stay on top; Ronaldo has first Serie A hat-trick

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Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring in their Serie A match against Cagliari at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, on Monday.Photo: AFP
Romelu Lukaku on Monday scored twice, as Inter held on to the top spot in Serie A with a 3-1 win over SSC Napoli to keep the pressure on Juventus, who earlier swept past Cagliari with Cristiano Ronaldo netting his first hat-trick in the Italian top flight.

Antonio Conte’s Inter ended their 23-year wait for a league win in Naples to stay in the pole position — level on points with Juventus after 18 games, but ahead on goal-difference.

“It’s an important victory, winning away to Napoli is never easy,” Conte said after his 100th Serie A win as a coach, but first in Naples. “Napoli have in recent years always been behind Juventus, while Inter was a long way back. This year we have reduced the gap.”

Inter’s three goals all came from mistakes by Napoli, who were runners-up the past two seasons, but only eighth this term.

Lukaku broke through on 14 minutes with a powerful solo run through the Napoli defense, with goalie Alex Meret fumbling the second effort into the goal in the 33rd minute.

Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik pulled a goal back for Napoli four minutes before the break.

However, Lautaro Martinez added the third goal after the hour mark, following another mix-up in the Napoli defense, to give Inter their first win at the Stadio San Paolo since October 1997.

“We made lots of mistakes and scored three goals on ourselves,” Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “The lads are worried, because they are used to challenging for the Scudetto and this year it’s like this.”

In Turin, Ronaldo struck for the fifth consecutive league game, as the champions bounced back from their Italian Super Cup defeat by Lazio.

“Amazing feeling to kick off 2020 with a hat-trick and a victory,” tweeted Ronaldo, who brought his league tally to 13 goals.

Ronaldo, 34, broke the deadlock just after the interval.

The Portuguese striker added a second from the penalty spot on 67 minutes, then set up substitute Gonzalo Higuain nine minutes from time, before completing his hat-trick a minute later.

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Annual Rolls-Royce sales surge 25%, thanks to first SUV

Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC yesterday said it recorded a 25 percent jump in sales last year, underpinned by solid demand for its first-ever SUV, Cullinan, just a year after the launch.

The 116-year-old British company said it sold a record 5,152 cars, compared with 4,107 units in the prior year.

“Worldwide demand last year for our Cullinan SUV has driven this success and is expected to stabilize in 2020,” chief executive officer Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said in a statement.

The Cullinan was unveiled in 2018.

The BMW-owned brand’s strong numbers serve as a breather at a time when the global automobile industry is still grappling with various challenges amid a broader economic slowdown that dented sales of automakers such as Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co.

North America continued to be the biggest contributor with about a third of Rolls-Royce’s total sales, followed by China and Europe.

BENTLEY

British luxury carmaker Bentley returned to profitability, helped by a 5 percent sales increase after a strong performance in Europe and the Americas, the Volkswagen-owned brand said yesterday.

Sales reached 11,006 vehicles, boosted by the new Continental GT Convertible model and a series of derivatives and limited edition models.

“This result secures Bentley’s return to profitability, demonstrates the successful implementation of our turnaround, and sends a clear signal for the potential of Bentley for 2020,” chief executive officer Adrian Hallmark said.

The firm did not disclose its profit figure for the year, but in the first nine months last year, operating profit stood at 65 million euros (US$73 million), according to previously released figures from Volkswagen.

Sales in China fell by just over 12 percent to 1,940 models, which Bentley said was due to the lack of availability of cars as the Continental GT only arrived last month.

ASTON MARTIN

Meanwhile, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd said that its annual core profit would plummet more than 45 percent from 2018, as weak demand in Europe led to a drop in wholesale volumes.

The 106-year-old firm, famed for being fictional agent James Bond’s brand of choice, in November had highlighted tough trading conditions, particularly in the UK and Europe, and weak demand for its Vantage model.

The company said these conditions had continued through its peak delivery period last month and led to a 7 percent drop in wholesale volumes for the year.

It expects adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of between ￡30 million and ￡140 million (US$39.6 million and US$184.66 million), compared with ￡247.3 million a year earlier.

“From a trading perspective, 2019 has been a very disappointing year,” chief executive officer Andy Palmer said, as the company now expects adjusted EBITDA margin of 12.5 percent to 13.5 percent, down from 22.6 percent in 2018.

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title: Medvedev conquers giant-killer Ruud

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Medvedev conquers giant-killer Ruud

TOWERING RUSSIAN:’The score doesn’t say everything about the match, because it was really close,’ Daniil Medvedev said of his first-ever clash against Casper Ruud
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, left, chats with Casper Ruud of Norway at the net after their ATP Cup singles match in Perth, Australia, yesterday.Photo: AFP
World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev yesterday ended Casper Ruud’s giant-killing spree with a 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) victory to seal Russia’s place in the ATP Cup quarter-finals.

The US Open finalist continued his ominous form ahead of the Australian Open, hitting 34 winners and 13 aces in the contest that lasted 1 hour, 33 minutes.

Medvedev wrapped up the tie for unbeaten Russia ahead of the doubles.

“Maybe the score doesn’t say everything about the match, because it was really close and both of us could have won,” Medvedev said of his first-ever clash against Ruud.

The towering Russian was particularly impressive at the net, winning 14 of 19 points.

“Against Casper, I knew I had to finish some points at the net,” he said. “I knew I had to be aggressive and I think it helped me a lot.”

Group D winner Russia advanced to the knockout stages in Sydney, while Norway’s surprising run, which started with a stunning upset of the US, ended.

Ruud, whose father, Christian, is Norway’s captain and his coach, on Sunday upset Italian world No. 12 Fabio Fognini after beating 19th-ranked John Isner of the US two days earlier.

The 21-year-old continued to impress, but was no match for Medvedev, who has steadily built his form after victories over Fognini and Isner.

Ruud is a product of Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy in Mallorca and has received high praise from the Spaniard.

Nadal on Monday said that a bright future awaits the “amazing” Ruud, who has proved a giant-killer at the ATP Cup, despite being slammed as “boring” by Nick Kyrgios.

The 21-year-old, a product of Nadal’s tennis academy in Mallorca, has beaten top-20 players John Isner and Fabio Fognini to make his mark at the international teams tournament in Australia.

Ruud was catapulted into the spotlight last year after Kyrgios threw a temper tantrum during their match at the Italian Masters, hurling a chair on to the court.

Ruud later blasted the combustible Australian as an “idiot” and “totally crazy,” prompting Kyrgios to fire back that he would rather “watch paint dry” than “boring” Ruud.

“I saw [Ruud] playing good in the off-season — practicing every single day in Mallorca — and he was practicing strong and very well,” said Nadal, the world No. 1 and 19-time Grand Slam winner.

“He’s amazing and I think that in the past he had some trouble, because he used to prefer to play on clay much more than hard,” Nadal said. “But that’s something that, for me personally, makes me happy, because he’s a great guy.”

Alexander Zverev’s terrible run of form showed no signs of abating yesterday after the German surrendered meekly to Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-2.

Canada won the tie in Brisbane 2-1 to keep alive their hopes of reaching the inaugural event’s quarter-finals after Shapovalov teamed with Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the deciding doubles contest.

The pair edged Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in a high-quality match.

Shapovalov cruised to his win in just 70 minutes to level the tie after Jan-Lennard Struff had earlier got Germany away to a winning start with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Auger-Aliassime.

Zverev had to beat Shapovalov to keep Germany in the hunt for a quarter-final spot in Sydney later this week, but Shapovalov took control from the outset against an opponent whose serve was misfiring and whose body language suggested a player badly out of form.


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The rise of the ‘#MeTooBots’: Scientists develop AI to detect e-mail harassmen

Companies are experimenting with technology that flags harassment at work, but critics question its effectiveness
Artificial intelligence (AI) programmers are developing bots that can identify digital bullying and sexual harassment.

Known as “#MeTooBots” after the high-profile movement that arose after allegations against the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the bots can monitor and flag communications between colleagues, and are being introduced by companies around the world.

Programmers say it is not easy to teach computers what harassment looks like, with its linguistic subtleties and gray lines.

“I wasn’t aware of all the forms of harassment. I thought it was just talking dirty. It comes in so many different ways. It might be 15 messages ... it could be racy photos,” said Jay Leib, chief executive of Chicago-based AI firm NexLP.

NexLP’s AI platform is used by more than 50 corporate clients, including law firms in London.

The industry is a potentially fertile ground for the bots to examine — a third of female lawyers in the UK report having experienced sexual harassment.

The bot uses an algorithm trained to identify potential bullying, including sexual harassment, in company documents, e-mails and chat. Data is analyzed for various indicators that determine how likely it is to be a problem, with anything the AI reads as being potentially problematic then sent to a lawyer or human resources (HR) manager to investigate.

Exactly what indicators are deemed red flags remains a company secret, but Leib said that the bot looked for anomalies in the language, frequency or timing of communication patterns across weeks, while constantly learning how to spot harassment.

Leib believes other industries could also benefit.

“There’s a lot of interest from clients across sectors, such as financial services, pharmaceuticals,” he said.

Brian Subirana, a lecturer in AI at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that the idea of using AI to root out harassment was promising, though the capabilities of the bots are limited.

“There’s a type of harassment that is very subtle and very hard to pick up. We have these training courses [about harassment] at Harvard and it requires the type of understanding that AI is not yet capable of,” Subirana said.

The underlying issue is that AI can only reliably conduct basic story analysis, meaning it is taught to look for specific triggers. It cannot go beyond that parameter and cannot pick up on broader cultural or unique interpersonal dynamics. This means the bots risk leaving gaps or proving oversensitive.

“We don’t know when AI will break the ‘story understanding’ frontier,” Subirana said.

If an employee’s correspondence gets flagged, it can create a climate of distrust, and offenders might learn how to trick the software, he said.

Alternatively, offenders could resort to other mediums of communication that are not monitored by the bots, he added.

A further concern is protecting the confidentiality of the data that is collected.

If the software makes a mistake and the data is leaked, internal communications between employees could be seen by rival companies, Subirana said.

“There are still hurdles to jump before AI can do what we think it can,” Subirana said. “I haven’t heard of any HR [department] who has said it is useful for this yet.”

He is not the only skeptic.

Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights non-governmental organization, said that there could be unforeseen consequences from policing staff communications.


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LAS VEGAS CES: Samsung lab unit shows AI-powered ‘artificial human’

A Samsung Electronics Co lab yesterday unveiled a digital avatar it described as an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “artificial human,” claiming it is able to “converse and sympathize” like real people.

The announcement at the opening of the 2020 CES in Las Vegas touted a new kind of AI called NEON, produced by the independent Samsung unit Star Labs.

The technology allows for the creation of customized digital beings that can appear on displays or video games and could be designed to be “TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors” or even “companions and friends,” the California-based unit of the South Korean giant said.

“NEONs will be our friends, collaborators and companions, continually learning, evolving and forming memories from their interactions,” Star Labs chief executive Pranav Mistry said.

The NEON creators said the new virtual humans are the product of advances in technologies, including neural networks and computational reality.

According to Star Labs, NEON is inspired “by the rhythmic complexities of nature and extensively trained with how humans look, behave and interact.”

The avatars “create life-like reality that is beyond normal perception to distinguish, with latency of less than a few milliseconds,” it said.

While digital avatars have long been able to be programmed for specific tasks such as role players in games, NEON goes further by enabling interactions that can incorporate human emotion.

Although the artificial humans may borrow features from real people, “each NEON has his or her own unique personality and can show new expressions, movements, and dialogs,” the company said.

The announcement comes amid a proliferation of AI-manipulated computer videos known as “deepfakes,” and growing concerns how they could be used to deceive or manipulate.

Some analysts fear these fakes could be misused during an election campaign to exacerbate political tensions.

Jack Gold, analyst at J. Gold Associates, said Samsung might be ahead of the pack if it can develop avatars that can show emotions and expressions.

“We have to wait and see what this means,” Gold said. “But it has major implications for many fields like customer service, help desk functions, entertainment, and of course could also be used to ‘fake’ a human interacting with a live person for bad or illegal purposes.”

Avi Greengartm, founder and lead analyst of the consultancy Techsponential, said the avatars could be realistic but also “creepy.”

“Leaving aside how impressive the technology is, will NEON be used in ways that people like, just tolerate, or actively hate?” he said.

According to Samsung and Star Labs, NEON offers avatars with lifelike reality “that is beyond normal perception to distinguish.”

The company envisions commercial opportunities to create avatars to be service representatives, financial advisors, healthcare providers or concierges.

“We have always dreamed of such virtual beings in science fictions and movies,” Mistry said. “NEONs will integrate with our world and serve as new links to a better future, a world where ‘humans are humans’ and ‘machines are humane.’”

The laboratory was launched last year by Mistry, who had previously been a senior Samsung vice president and head of innovation at Samsung Mobile.

He was known for developing Sixth Sense, a gesture-based wearable technology system built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


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Spinner Dom Bess yesterday picked up the key wicket of South Africa captain Faf du Plessis before lunch to strike a heavy blow to South Africa’s bid to save the second Test on the final day.

With South Africa 170-4 at the interval, thoughts of chasing down a test record 438 for victory were long gone.

Instead, the hosts face an uphill battle to save the Test over the remaining two sessions.

Debutant opener Pieter Malan was unbeaten on 83 from 271 balls, and much could rely on his ability to hold up an end for the remainder of the day. Rassie van der Dussen was on one not out.

The home side would still have a hope of drawing the Test, with the wicket offering little assistance to the seam bowlers, although the rough built up over the previous four days is offering turn for the slow bowlers.

England have the new ball, taken 10 minutes before lunch, to provide opportunities to take more wickets in what could be the key period in the game after lunch.

Du Plessis (19) was desperately disappointed with his shot selection as he tried to take on Bess with a powerful sweep, but succeeded only in picking out Joe Denly at square leg.

That poor judgement from the mainstay of South Africa’s batting lineup provided England with a major boost in their search for a win to level the series.

Nightwatchman Keshav Maharaj (2) was the other wicket to fall in the morning session. After James Anderson (2-23) had broken his bat, he was trapped leg before wicket by the experienced seamer.

England are seeking a first win at Newlands since 1957, while South Africa must bat for 146 overs to save this Test, after they won the opening game of the four-match series by 107 runs in Pretoria.

England opening batsman Rory Burns is to miss the tour of Sri Lanka in March after undergoing successful surgery on ruptured ligaments in his left ankle, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday.

Burns suffered the injury playing soccer — part of the squad’s warm-up routine — on Thursday last week, the eve of the second Test against South Africa.

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title: South Africa lose Du Plessis in uphill battle at Newlands


title: KMT’s ‘green terror’ is a fantasy

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The 12-article Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) stipulates that any person going to China, receiving money from an agent of the Chinese Communist Party and then returning to Taiwan to use the money to give financial assistance to a candidate in an election, with the intention of interfering in a government election, would be prosecuted.

It requires that the person who reported the alleged crime provide evidence of their allegations and that prosecutors investigate the case according to the law, and bring the case to court based on the evidence that they discover.

Then, of course, a judge must deliberate on the merits of the case and then, and only then, can a verdict be delivered, after which, if found guilty, the defendant has the right to appeal.

In Taiwan, which places a premium on freedom and human rights, cases such as that of former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世) — who was prosecuted for corruption, in a case in which the evidence was clear and irrefutable, and yet through a series of appeals over the years his punishment has successively been reduced — have led to the impression that the judiciary is not entirely just.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) says that the Anti-infiltration Act constitutes “green terror” and likens the current situation in Taiwan to the Martial Law era.

However, the widow and sister-in-law of a man prosecuted under the Punishment of Rebellion Act (懲治叛亂條例) during the White Terror era and imprisoned for 16 years are returning to Taiwan from the US to vote in the elections, hoping to see the president secure a second term.

Chang Chia-lin (張家林) was 18 in 1950 and had followed a relative, who was a helmsman in the Republic of China Navy, in to the service.

He traveled to Taiwan with Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and the KMT army in their retreat from China.

Once in Taiwan, Chang was deployed by the navy to Kinmen and Matsu on several trips.

On one such trip he worked for three weeks without a break and found himself drinking with other members of the crew, who were complaining about their lot.

They talked about how they were risking life and limb to ensure that Chiang was kept in the manner to which he was accustomed, and someone complained about how exhausted they were while their officers were living the high life back in Taiwan, and how unfair all of this was.

That person then expressed the wish that they turn the boat around, and head home to China and return to “Civvy Street.”

The more they drank, the thicker and faster came the complaints.

When the crew completed their assignment three days later they returned to port at Zuoying.

Three days after their return, several of the people who had been complaining in the drinking session were placed in solitary confinement in the brig.

Chang was asked if he had been at the session in which people had discussed sailing to China.

Sitting in an interrogation room, it occurred to Chang that somebody had reported what had happened during that drinking session to their superiors.

In the end, six people were sent to the Taipei Garrison Command’s military court, and before long two of the people who had brought up the idea of returning to China were charged under Article 2, Clause 1, of the Punishment of Rebellion Act, which carried the death penalty, and another four were charged under Article 2, Clause 3, which carried a 10-year prison term.


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US airstrike on Iranian general could lead to consequences in North Korea

People attend a rally at Kim Il-sung Square to pledge the tasks set forth by the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Sunday.Photo: AFP / KCNA VIA KNS
The US airstrike that killed Iran’s top military commander might have had an indirect casualty: A diplomatic solution to denuclearizing North Korea.

Experts have said the escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran would diminish already fading hopes for such an outcome, and inspire North Korea’s decisionmakers to tighten their hold on the weapons they see, perhaps correctly, as their strongest guarantee of survival.

North Korea’s initial reaction to the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani has been cautious. The country’s state media was silent for several days before finally on Monday issuing a brief report on the attack that did not even mention Soleimani’s name.

The Korean Central News Agency report did not publish any direct criticism by Pyongyang toward Washington, instead simply saying that China and Russia had denounced the US over last week’s airstrike near Baghdad International Airport.

North Korea’s negotiations with the US have been at a stalemate since February last year, when a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapsed over disagreements about exchanging sanctions relief for nuclear disarmament.

The North has pointed to that lack of progress, and hinted it might resume tests of nuclear bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

While the killing of Soleimani might give Pyongyang pause about provoking the Trump administration in such a way, it ultimately is likely to use the strike to further legitimize its stance that it needs to bolster its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent against US aggression.

North Korea has often pointed to the demises of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi while justifying its nuclear development, saying they would still be alive and in power had they obtained nuclear weapons and did not surrender them to the US.

Solemani’s name would soon be mentioned with them too, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University.

“North Korea would say that the imperialist nature of the United States would never change, and that there is no other option for them other than to strengthen its nuclear deterrent while bracing for long-term confrontation,” said Koh, an adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

It is clear that Pyongyang has been closely watching the developments between Washington and Tehran since the Trump administration in May 2018 abandoned a nuclear agreement Iran reached with world powers in 2015.

North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun daily published more than 30 articles analyzing the US-Iran tensions since August last year, reflecting the keen interest of Pyongyang’s decisionmakers, wrote Hwang Ildo, a professor from South Korea’s National Diplomatic Academy.

Kim and Trump exchanged insults and threats of war during a highly provocative run in North Korean weapons tests in 2017.

However, in 2018, Kim initiated diplomatic talks with Washington and suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. The opening came after months of concerns that the Trump administration could consider preventive military action against North Korea.

There are views that North Korea’s measured brinkmanship of last year, highlighted by tests of shorter-range weapons and defiant statements on overcoming US-led sanctions, were influenced by Tehran’s calibrated provocations against Washington, which coincided with efforts to retain European countries participating in the 2015 deal.


title: China must cancel coal plants to meet climate vow: study

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China must end the construction of all new coal-fired power plants to meet long-term climate goals in the most economically feasible manner, a study coauthored by a government-backed research institute said on Monday.

China’s energy strategy over the next decade is under close scrutiny as it aims to bring climate warming carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 to fulfill a pledge made as part of the 2015 Paris agreement, but with economic growth at its slowest pace in nearly 30 years, Beijing has continued to approve new coal-fired plants, raising fears the world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gases is backtracking on its commitments.

Beijing is capable of phasing out coal to help meet a global target to keep temperature rises to 1.5°C by 2050, but only if it embarks on a “structured and sustainable” closure strategy to minimize the economic impact, says the study by Chinese government researchers and the University of Maryland Center for Global Sustainability.

The report said that China must first end new construction, then rapidly close older and inefficient plants.

China has more than 1,000 gigawatts of coal-fired power, accounting for about 60 percent of total installed generation capacity.

“Well-designed policies can help lower the cost of coal-power deep decarbonization,” said Jiang Kejun (姜克雋), research professor with the government-backed Energy Research Institute.

China should also change the role of coal-fired power in its energy system. By reducing the total operating hours of each plant, China could make coal-fired power a “peak load” supplier during periods of high electricity consumption, rather than the main “baseload” power source.

Beijing promised last year to show the “highest possible ambition” when drawing up new climate pledges for the coming decade, but it has built 42.9 gigawatts of new coal-fired power capacity since the start of 2018, with another 121 gigawatts under construction.

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Lam vows to work closely with envoy

‘THE RIGHT PATH’:Chief Executive Carrie Lam did not mention the pro-democracy protests, which are backed by 59% of Hong Kongers, according to a recent survey
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) yesterday said that she would work closely with Beijing’s top official in the territory to get it back on “the right path” after more than six months of pro-democracy protests.

The appointment of a new head of the Chinese government’s most important office in Hong Kong was unexpectedly announced at the weekend in a sign of Beijing’s frustration with the latter’s handling of the crisis.

Hong Kong Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government Director Luo Huining (駱惠寧) reports to China’s State Council and is the main platform for Beijing to project its influence in the territory.

“I will work closely with director Luo in the coming future, committing to ‘one country, two systems’ and the Basic Law, for Hong Kong to ... return to the right path,” Lam said in her first news conference of the year, referring to the territory’s system of governance and mini-constitution.

Luo on Monday, in his first remarks since taking office, used the same language, saying that he hoped Hong Kong would return to the right path.

Beijing replaced former office director Wang Zhimin (王志民) after he faced criticism for failing to anticipate public opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill.

Lam did not mention the protests in her opening remarks, which focused on the health risks related an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Authorities have identified 21 cases in Hong Kong, of which seven have been released from hospital.

Clashes between police and protesters intensified over the New Year holiday following a lull in violence early last month after an overwhelming win by the pro-democracy camp in council elections yielded no government concessions.

Anti-government protests in Hong Kong have evolved over the months into a broad pro-democracy campaign, with demands for universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into complaints of police brutality.

Many Hong Kongers are angered by what they see as Beijing’s ever-tightening grip on the territory, which was promised a high degree of autonomy under a “one country, two systems” framework when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Beijing denies interference and blames the West for fomenting the unrest.

The protest movement was supported by 59 percent of Hong Kongers polled in a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, while 57 percent wanted Lam to resign.

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title: Lam vows to work closely with envoy


content_text:
Duterte offers new water contracts for Manila

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT:The president’s spokesman said if the two firms refuse to accept the deals, the president would order the nationalization of water services in their areas
The Philippine government would take over the capital’s water distribution services if the two largest water firms refuse to accept the terms of new contracts that would be offered to them, the presidential spokesman said yesterday.

Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water Co serve a combined 16 million customers under 25-year concession deals signed in 1997, but Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has labeled the agreements “onerous and disadvantageous” for ratepayers.

The firebrand leader last month ordered criminal charges filed against the two companies, including their billionaire owners.

Earlier that month, they had won arbitration cases in Singapore against the government.

“The chief executive is giving the water concessionaires the option of accepting the new contracts minus the onerous provisions without any guarantee of not being criminally prosecuted together with those who conspired to craft the very onerous contracts,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a news conference.

“Should Maynilad and Manila Water refuse to accept the new agreements, the president will order the cancelation of their present water contracts [and] order the nationalization of water services in their respective areas of operation,” Panelo said.

Manila Water and Maynilad did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The market cheered the news that the two firms would be allowed to continue to operate if they adhered to the government’s conditions.

Manila Water, which last month fell as much as 73 percent and lost as much as US$556 million in market value, rallied nearly 15 percent yesterday after the announcement, while parent firm Ayala Corp, which shed up to US$875 million in market capitalization, gained 1.5 percent.

Maynilad owners Metro Pacific Investments Corp and DMCI Holdings rose 3.2 percent and 3.9 percent respectively. The two firms collectively lost as much as US$1.45 billion in market value after Duterte’s criticism.

Last month, the state water regulator canceled a 15-year extension of the water utilities’ concession after pressure from Duterte. The existing concessions are to expire in 2022.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore last month ordered the Philippine government to pay Manila Water 7.4 billion pesos (US$145.55 million) to recoup foregone revenues from rate increases that were rejected by regulators.

Maynilad won a separate arbitration last year.

The companies had said that they would forfeit any damage claims to avoid angering the president, who enjoys high public approval ratings.

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title: World Business Quick Take

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TOURISM

UAE visa scheme announced

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday introduced a multiple-entry visa scheme valid for five years for all nationalities, with the aim of turning the Persian Gulf state into a tourism hub. “#UAE Cabinet chaired by @HHShkMohd, approves new amendment for tourist visas in #UAE,” the government of Dubai Media Office wrote on Twitter, referring to Emir Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emirati prime minister and ruler of Dubai. “The new tourist visa will be valid for 5 years and can be used for multiple entries and is open for all nationalities.” He said on Twitter that the state attracts 21 million tourists a year.

ENTERTAINMENT

Group seeks US$1.1bn loan

A consortium led by Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊) is seeking a 1 billion euro (US$1.1 billion) five-year loan to help fund its US$3.4 billion purchase of a stake in Universal Music Group, people familiar with the matter have said. Five banks — Bank of America Corp, Bank of China Ltd (中國銀行), HSBC Holdings PLC, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Ltd (中國工商銀行) and Morgan Stanley — are expected to provide the non-recourse financing as a club deal, people said. The Chinese social media and gaming giant and its partners last month agreed to buy a 10 percent stake in Universal Music from French media company Vivendi SA after months of talks.

AVIATION

BOC orders 20 Airbus jets

Singapore-based aircraft leasing firm BOC Aviation Ltd (中銀航空租賃) yesterday announced that it had ordered 20 Airbus A320neo planes, with up to 12 of them planned to go to Colombian airline Avianca SA. The order is worth approximately US$2.2 billion at list prices, but airlines and leasing firms typically negotiate discounts. “We are thrilled to welcome Avianca as a new customer,” BOC Aviation chief executive Robert Martin said in a statement. “This addition of 20 new Airbus A320neo aircraft reflects our disciplined investment strategy of building our portfolio with popular and in-demand new technology aircraft that provide reliability and operational efficiency.”

CHINA

Tax cuts boost growth

The nation’s economic growth was boosted by about 0.8 percentage points last year, following tax cuts of more than 2 trillion yuan (US$288 billion), the State Taxation Administration said on Monday. The tax cut was worth more than 2 percent of GDP, it said. That means that the nominal value of the economy likely grew to about 100 trillion yuan at the end of last year, according to Bloomberg calculations, up from 92 trillion yuan in 2018. Tax revenue rose 1.8 percent to about 14 trillion yuan last year, the agency said, lower than the 9.5 percent increase in 2018.

BANKING

UBS splitting its business

UBS Group AG is splitting its European wealth management business into three regions and expects to cut as many as 500 private banking jobs globally as it overhauls its most important division. The revamp would break apart the Europe, Middle East and Africa private banking business led by Christl Novakovic, giving Caroline Kuhnert responsibility for central and eastern Europe, and Ali Janoudi the Middle East and Africa. Novakovic would keep Western Europe, according to an internal memo from wealth management co-heads Iqbal Khan and Tom Naratil that was obtained by Bloomberg.

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title: Record-high revenue last month for Grape King Bio

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Grape King Bio Ltd (葡萄王) last month saw revenue reach a record high of NT$990 million (US$32.91 million), reversing annual declines in revenue since the previous August and lifting revenue for the whole year to flat from 2018, the company said on Monday.

Sales momentum came from its Taiwanese operations and its direct-sales subsidiary, Pro-Partner Inc (葡眾), with revenue rising 26 percent to NT$50.39 million and 9.5 percent to NT$852.54 million respectively, company data showed.

Local operations’ sales rose thanks to its anniversary sales promotion, the “Double 12” shopping event last month and increasing consumer awareness of its products, the company said.

Probiotics and health foods ranked first in terms of sales generated by its Taiwanese operations, followed by the energy drink Come Best and nutritional supplements that contain turmeric, Grape King communications officer James Chao (趙光正) said by telephone.

Pro-Partner’s sales were buoyed by the launch of new products such as a dried powder containing lactic acid bacteria and health food for pets, Chao said.

Whole-year revenue generated by its Taiwanese operations expanded 32.5 percent from a year earlier to NT$537.76 million, while the direct-sales unit reported a rise of 4.8 percent to NT$7.79 billion, company data showed.

Both are expected to see further growth this year, as Pro-Partner is to launch two products, while the local units would likely cooperate with a Japan-based manufacturer of supplements, API Co Ltd, Chao said.

However, Shanghai Grape King Enterprises Corp (上海葡萄王) reported a drop in revenue for the ninth consecutive month, plunging 41 percent to NT$87.64 million, company data showed.

The unit’s whole-year revenue plummeted 34 percent to NT$910.27 million, Grape King said.

Sales generated by its Chinese operations would likely rebound after March as it expects increasing demand from new clients, it said in a statement.

Grape King’s revenue stood at NT$9.23 billion for the whole of last year, up 0.17 percent from a year earlier.

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MANUFACTURING

FPG announces bonuses

Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團) is to distribute bonuses equivalent to 4.94 months’ salary to employees of its four major units ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Jan. 24. This year’s amount is less than the 5.83 months’ salary that the group distributed last year, as earnings at the four FPG subsidiaries were generally lower than a year earlier due to the negative effect of the US-China trade dispute, the group said. The four subsidiaries reported average pre-tax earnings per share of NT$4.84 for last year, a preliminary estimate released by the group showed.

PETROCHEMICALS

CPDC to raise US$129m

China Petrochemical Development Corp (CPDC, 中石化) has priced its global depositary receipts (GDRs) at US$7.18 per unit. They are scheduled to be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange on Monday. In a regulatory filing yesterday, the company said that it is issuing 180 million GDRs, representing 450 million common shares, as it aims to raise US$129.24 million to fund its investment in a subsidiary and build a chemical plant overseas. While the GDRs are expected to dilute earnings per share by 13.7 percent at most, “with respect to our financial structure, the increase in our own capital and lower debt ratio will be more beneficial to the group’s future operating performance and development,” CPDC said.

COMPUTERS

Getac sales rise 20.05%

Rugged PC vendor Getac Technology Corp (神基) yesterday reported that sales for last month increased 20.05 percent year-on-year to NT$2.44 billion (US$81.1 million). That helped increase its fourth-quarter sales to NT$7.34 billion, up 1.8 percent from the third quarter and 13.3 percent from a year earlier. Getac attributed the quarterly increase to contributions from government projects and expanded capacity at its Vietnamese manufacturing site. For the whole of last year, consolidated revenue reached NT$27.26 billion, up 10.41 percent from NT$24.69 billion in 2018.

COMPUTERS

Qisda revenue grows 8.8%

Qisda Corp (佳世達) on Monday reported that revenue for last month increased 8.8 percent year-on-year to NT$14.49 billion, bringing fourth-quarter revenue to a record high of NT$45.97 billion. Total revenue for last year also hit a new high at NT$169.86 billion, up 9.04 percent from 2018. The company attributed the increase to the strength of its business segments, as well as contributions from subsidiaries such as Aewin Technologies Co Ltd (其陽科技), Sysage Technology Co Ltd (聚碩), Topview Optronics Co (勝品電通) and Ace Pillar Co (羅昇).Qisda owns 51.26 percent and 20.49 percent stakes in Aewin and Ace Pillar respectively. The company last year acquired 35 percent and 20 percent shares in Sysage and Topview respectively.

TRADING

TAIEX continues slide

The TAIEX fell further yesterday, amid geopolitical tensions after the US killed Iran’s top military commander last week, but the main board recovered from an early low due to bargain hunting near the end of the session, dealers said. The bellwether electronics sector led the downturn on the broader market, while select old economy and financial stocks remained resilient, lending some support to the market, dealers said. The TAIEX ended down 73.04 points, or 0.61 percent, at 11,880.32. Turnover totaled NT$164.811 billion during the session.

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title: Taiwan Business Quick Take


title: FEATURE: China’s farmers reap rich harvest from video apps

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Ma Gongzuo collects honey at his apiary in Zhejiang Province, China, on Nov. 13 last year.Photo: AFP
“Do you want a piece?” beekeeper Ma Gongzuo asked, looking into the camera of a friend’s smartphone before biting into the dripping comb of amber-colored honey.

The clip goes out to his 737,000 followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of popular video sharing app TikTok that has 400 million users and has turned Ma into something of a celebrity.

Creating videos has become a popular sales tactic for Chinese farmers — the clips show increasingly discerning consumers the origins of the product and provide a window into rural life that captures audience imagination.

For some it has helped them find a way out of poverty, which the Chinese Communist Party hopes to eradicate by this year.

“Everyone said I was good for nothing when they saw I’d come back,” the 31-year-old said of his return to his village after a failed attempt at running an online clothing business. “They tell us that we can only get out of poverty if we study and get a job in a city.”

Today, Ma drives an expensive BMW and has already earned enough to buy property, and help his parents and fellow villagers with their homes and businesses.

Ma in 2015 took on the family honey-producing business in the verdant hills of Zhejiang Province and thanks to e-commerce apps, managed to turn an annual revenue of 1 million yuan (US$144,204).

However, sales stagnated.

So in November 2018, with help from his friends in the village, he began posting videos about his life on the farm. They showed him opening up a hive surrounded by a swarm of bees, swimming bare-chested in a river and chopping wood.

“I never advertise my products. I show my daily life, the landscapes of the countryside. That’s what interests people,” Ma said. “Of course, people suspect that I’m selling honey, but they decide to get in touch with me to say they want to buy some.”

Like most transactions in China, where hard cash is becoming less popular, the orders are paid for through apps such as WeChat and AliPay.

Ma now sells between 2 million and 3 million yuan of honey each year, as well as dried sweet potato and brown sugar.

“When I was young we were poor,” he said. “At school, I used to admire other kids who had pocket money, because I never had any.”

Now he drives a 4x4 BMW that costs about 760,000 yuan and has also invested in building a bed-and-breakfast.

“Using Douyin, that was the turning point,” he said. “Today, I can buy my family what they need. I help the other villagers to sell their products, too. All of the local economy benefits.”

In China, about 847 million people access the Internet via their smartphone, so online apps have played a vital role in Ma’s success.

“It’s progress,” said Ma Gongzuo’s father, Ma Jianchun. “We old people are overwhelmed. With the money, we’ve been able to renovate our house.”

China is home to the world’s largest market for live video broadcasting, according to US audit firm Deloitte.

Getting in on the trend, Douyin’s parent company ByteDance says it has organized training for 26,000 farmers on how to master the art of making videos.

There are other similar platforms such as Kuaishou and Yizhibo.

Taobao, the most popular e-commerce app in the nation owned by technology giant Alibaba, last year launched a project showing farmers how to become livestreaming hosts in a bid to help them earn more.

The number of people living under the poverty line in rural China has reduced dramatically — from 700 million in 1978 to 16.6 million in 2018, government data show.


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LAS VEGAS CES: Twenty-eight Taiwanese start-ups display brands

A delegation of 28 Taiwanese start-ups are attending CES in Las Vegas to gain exposure for their brands, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Monday.

The start-ups are largely involved in providing solutions in healthcare, Internet security and smart city development, and their presence at CES would demonstrate Taiwan’s capability for innovation, the ministry said.

They include sink care product vendor AESOP Technology (醫守科技), healthcare services providers FaceHeart Inc (鉅怡智慧) and Ahead, smart transportation control solutions provider 3 Drens (三維人), and Language Hero (語言英雄), which specializes in artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technologies.

Most of the firms come from its Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) initiative, which is aimed at cultivating tech startups by helping them raise funds to grow, the ministry said in a statement.

The delegation on Friday held a Taiwan Demo Day in Silicon Valley, and the TTA program invited potential investors to meet with the startups, the ministry said.

The Taiwan Demo Day focused on innovation and matchmaking strategies in the US and Taiwan and bolstered the startups’ chances of extending their reach globally, Deputy Science Minister Hsu Yu-chin (許有進) said in the statement.

The start-ups used the Silicon Valley event as a warm-up for CES, Hsu said.

The government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (工研院) is also attending CES to exhibit its latest artificial intelligence applications for use in healthcare, smart robots and smart displays.

The National Development Council last month announced that the Startup Island Taiwan logo would be displayed internationally for the first time at this year’s CES.

The Taiwanese start-ups at CES would be using the logo, the council said.

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LAS VEGAS CES: Toyota planning prototype city near Fuji

‘WOVEN CITY’:The smart, sustainable development was designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, and building of the 71-hectare site is to start next year
Toyota president and chief executive Akio Toyoda on Monday speaks at his company’s news conference at the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, about plans for a prototype community of the future on a site at the base of Japan’s Mt Fuji.Photo: AFP
Toyota Motor Corp on Monday said it planned to build a prototype “city of the future” at the base of Mt Fuji, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and functioning as a laboratory for autonomous cars, “smart homes,” artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Toyota unveiled the audacious plan for what it will call “Woven City,” in a reference to its origins as a loom manufacturer, at the annual CES, which formally opened yesterday in Las Vegas.

“It’s hard to learn something about a smart city if you are only building a smart block,” Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development chief executive officer James Kuffner said.

The “Woven City” idea, under discussion for a year, is aimed at creating safer, cleaner, more fun cities and learning lessons that could be applied around the world, he added.

It will have police, fire and ambulance services, schools and could be home to a mix of Toyota employees, retirees and others, Kuffner said.

The development, to be built on the site of a car factory that is planned to be closed by the end of this year, would begin with 2,000 residents in coming years, and also serve as a home to researchers.

Toyota did not disclose costs for the project, whose construction is scheduled to start next year, and which seeks to re-imagine a city, but executives said it had been extensively vetted and had a budget.

The plan for a futuristic community on 71 hectares is a big step beyond proposals from Toyota’s rivals.

Executives at many major automakers have talked about how cities of the future could be designed to cut climate-changing emissions, reduce congestion and apply Internet technology to everyday life.

The company’s proposal showcases not only the ambition of Toyota president and chief executive Akio Toyoda, but also the financial and political resources the company can bring to bear, especially in its home country.

“You know if you build it, they will come,” said Toyoda, who called the project “my personal ‘field of dreams.’”

“I believe it is up to all of us, especially corporations like Toyota, to do our part to help make the world a better place. Woven City is one small, but hopefully significant step, towards fulfilling that promise,” he said.

Toyota Housing, a company unit, has sold more than 100,000 homes in Japan in 37 years.

Toyota said it had commissioned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to design the community.

His firm, Bjarke Ingels Group, is known for designing the 2 World Trade Center building in New York City and technology giant Google’s offices in Silicon Valley and London.

“Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life,” Ingels told the news conference.

Toyota said it is open to partnerships with other companies seeking to use the project as a testing ground for technology.

Still, Toyoda acknowledged not all may see the wisdom of what could be an expensive and lengthy project.

“You may be thinking, ‘Has this guy lost his mind?’” he told an audience in Las Vegas, to laughter. “‘Is he like a Japanese version of Willy Wonka?’ Perhaps.”

Additional reporting by the Guardian


content_text:
Digging up dirt — soil could contain the answer to food shortages

As water shortages, high temperatures and rising emissions of greenhouse gases threaten food production, nations around the world are looking somewhere new for solutions — the soil.

For decades, farmers wanting to boost their yields have focused their attention on fertilizers, technology and new seed varieties.

Instead, they should be looking under their feet, say experts, who warn that years of erosion and degradation of the soil through intensive farming have created the conditions for a global food production crisis.

“Data suggests that if we do not restore global soil health, it is highly likely the consequences within 10 years will be many, many millions facing food and water insecurity,” British soil expert John Crawford said.

This could lead to “civil unrest, mass migration, radicalization and violence on an unprecedented scale,” said Crawford, formerly a science director at the world’s oldest agricultural research institute, Rothamsted Research.

Much of the problem is caused by erosion, which strips away the highly fertile top layer of soil. An area of soil the size of a soccer pitch is eroded every five seconds, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says.

While soil erosion occurs naturally, human activities such as intensive agriculture, deforestation and urban sprawl have significantly increased the rate at which it is happening.

Nearly a third of the planet’s soil is already degraded. At current rates, that is to increase to 90 percent by 2050, the FAO forecasts, warning that pollution from human activity such as mining and manufacturing, as well as erosion, is to blame.

There are signs the world is beginning to wake up to the issue, which Crawford said it has only about 10 to 15 years to sort out.

Soil is “one of the most important regulators of global climate” because it stores more carbon than the planet’s atmosphere and vegetation combined, he said.

“If you fix soil, you mitigate a whole bunch of other risks,” the Glasgow, Scotland-based Adam Smith Business School professor of technology and strategy said.

Whole Foods, the upscale US retailer that made its name selling organic food, has put “regenerative agriculture” — farming that focuses on soil health — at the top of its trends for this year.

From Iowa to the Irrawaddy region of Myanmar — known as the nation’s rice bowl — farmers are trying to figure out how to make their soil healthier and more productive.

In a remote village in the Irrawaddy delta, a group of farmers sat cross-legged on a wooden floor and discussed why their once-thriving farms had become less productive.

The men had started testing their soil for the first time with the help of Proximity Designs, a business that designs low-cost farming products.

The company only began offering low-cost soil testing services in Myanmar in 2018 and by October last year it had already sold more than 7,600 tests at US$17 each, highlighting farmer interest.

“We didn’t have anyone to teach us [about soil]. We followed suggestions from others, thinking they might work,” said Win Zaw, 44, who grows rice on his 2.4 hectare farm.

“We knew something was wrong, but didn’t know what to do,” he said, looking down at typed sheets of paper detailing the levels of nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, acidity and organic matter in the soil.

All the farms were showing very low organic matter, which is produced by decomposing plants and is key to good soil health.


title: Stephens criticizes Brisbane over ‘respect’

content_text:
Sloane Stephens of the US returns to Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova during their Brisbane International singles at the Queensland Tennis Centre yesterday.Photo: AFP
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens yesterday blasted organizers of this week’s Brisbane International, accusing them of favoring the male players and not respecting the women.

The WTA tournament is being run alongside the Brisbane leg of the men’s inaugural ATP Cup, which has monopolized the Queensland Tennis Centre’s center court since it began on Friday.

The ATP Cup’s last round-robin matches in Brisbane are to be played today, meaning that women’s matches are to be relegated to the outside courts until tomorrow.

While most women’s players have been reluctant to comment on their treatment this year, Stephens, who is on the WTA players’ council, was not so reticent.

“I think there have been a lot of challenges just because it’s a new event, combined with the girls,” she said. “When you’re a No. 1 player in the world who is going to play on the side court, I don’t think that is that great. I think it’s kind of a respect thing.”

Stephens spoke after her first round loss to Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova.

AUCKLAND CLASSIC

Serena Williams yesterday found her power game after a sluggish start as she overcame qualifier Camila Giorgi to open her 2020 season with a straight-sets victory at the Auckland WTA Classic.

With an eye on the Australian Open later this month, the 38-year-old worked her way into a blistering performance that proved too much for the 167cm Italian.

“I feel really good. It was fun to be out there,” Williams said after sealing her 6-3, 6-2 victory with her eighth ace against the 99th-ranked Giorgi. “It’s really good that I still have some power left in my arms and my legs.”

At 3-3 in the first set, Williams found her range and the result was never in doubt from there on.

Auckland is an important tournament for the veteran as she prepares for the Australian Open.

Williams has been joined in Auckland by the new wave of US tennis stars, headed by the tournament third seed Amanda Anisimova, who did not disappoint.

The 18-year-old, who captured world attention reaching the semi-finals of the French Open last year, took 78 minutes to beat the Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova 6-3, 6-4.

SHENZHEN OPEN

Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka and top seed Belinda Bencic yesterday suffered shock defeats at the Shenzhen Open, dealing a setback to their Australian Open preparations.

World No. 11 Sabalenka lost 6-4, 6-4 to the Czech left-hander Kristyna Pliskova, as the Belarusian’s title defense came to a juddering halt in the second round.

Earlier, on a day of upsets in southern China, world No. 8 Bencic — the top seed in southern China — was defeated in her opening match of the year.

The Swiss was a surprise loser to the 58th-ranked Anna Blinkova, the Russian coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“I didn’t feel great in the beginning of the match,” the 21-year-old Blinkova told reporters. “I didn’t play bad, but I managed to increase the level of my game slowly, step by step.”

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content_text:
The Investment Commission approved Taiwan’s outward investment of US$850 million in Vietnam in the first 11 months of last year, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all outward investment in ASEAN, with 54.1 percent of the investment in the manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday.

Taiwan’s investment in the electronic components, computer, electronics and optical product manufacturing industries accounted for 22.1 percent of the total investment in Vietnam, compared with only 3.3 percent in all of 2018, as the US-China trade dispute forced companies in high-tech industries to reorganize their supply chains to avoid hefty US tariffs on products made in China, the ministry said.

Taiwan’s major investments in Vietnam over the past few years have been in the traditional textile, base metal and chemical industries, but Vietnam’s fast-growing domestic market spurred Taiwanese firms to increase investment in the solar power and real-estate sectors by 31.8 percent during the first 11 months of last year, compared with the whole of 2018.

Vietnam has become one of the most popular destinations for Taiwanese investors, as it is one of the countries covered by the New Southbound Policy, which aims to promote exchanges with ASEAN, member countries, as well as Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Australia, to reduce the country’s economic reliance on China.

As a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Vietnam has seen an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the past few years.

For the first 11 months of last year, FDI from Taiwan to Vietnam totaled US$1.53 billion, accounting for 4.8 percent of its total FDI, up 1.8 percentage points from all of 2018, Vietnamese Foreign Investment Agency statistics showed.

Taiwan was the fifth-largest foreign investor in Vietnam, the statistics showed.

Vietnam attracted US$31.8 billion in FDI in the first 11 months of last year, up 3 percent year-on-year, the agency said.

Among the 117 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, Hong Kong and China were the largest with US$10.26 billion, making up 32.3 percent of the total during the 11-month period, followed by South Korea with US$5.73 billion (18 percent) and Singapore with US$4.47 billion (14 percent).

Taiwan’s exports to Vietnam during the 11-month period totaled US$9.85 billion, up 0.3 percent year-on-year.

With the signing of a new bilateral investment agreement last month, Taiwan’s investment in the Southeast Asian country is expected to increase more, the ministry said.

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title: Investments in Vietnam approved


content_text:
Members of the media take photographs of a model of the S-A1 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft after a Hundai Motor Co news conference at the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday.Photo: AFP
Hyundai Motor Co on Monday announced it would mass-produce flying cars for Uber Technologies Inc’s aerial rideshare network set to deploy in 2023.

The South Korean manufacturer said it would produce the four-passenger electric “vertical take-off and landing vehicles” at “automotive scale,” without offering details.

The deal announced at the CES in Las Vegas could help Uber, which is working with other aircraft manufacturers, to achieve its goal of deploying air taxi service in a handful of cities by 2023.

Hyundai urban air mobility division head Jaiwon Shin said he expects the large-scale manufacturing to keep costs affordable for the aerial systems.

“We know how to mass-produce high quality vehicles,” Shin, NASA’s former associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, told a news conference at CES.

He said he expected the partnership to allow for the short-range air taxis to be “affordable for everyone.”

Uber Elevate head Eric Allison appeared at the CES event with Hyundai to discuss the partnership.

“By taking transportation out of the two dimensional grid on the ground and moving it into the sky, we can offer significant time savings to our riders,” Allison said.

He said that because of its other app-based transport options, “only Uber can seamlessly connect riders from cars, trains and even bikes to aircraft.”

Uber has announced it had selected Melbourne to join Dallas and Los Angeles in becoming the first cities to offer Uber Air flights, with the goal of beginning demonstrator flights this year and commercial operations in 2023.

While Uber has held talks with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the effort is likely to face heavy scrutiny from the regulator over logistics for takeoff and landing, noise and safety concerns.

Hyundai is using CES to show the S-A1 model aircraft with a cruising speed up to 290kph.

The aircraft utilizes “distributed electric propulsion,” designed with multiple rotors that can keep it in the air if one of them fails.

The smaller rotors also help reduce noise, which the companies said is important to cities.

The Hyundai vehicle is to be piloted initially, but over time is to become autonomous, the company said.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

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title: LAS VEGAS CES: Hyundai to make flying cars for Uber


content_text:
2020 Elections: PFP’s Soong stumps for votes in central Taiwan

By Lin Liang-sheng
and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer
People First Party Chairman James Soong, holding incense, and supporters pray for good luck at Zihnan Temple in Nantou County’s Jhushan Township yesterday.Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
People First Party (PFP) Chairman and presidential candidate James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) campaign schedule took him to central Taiwan yesterday.

During a visit to Zihnan Temple (紫南宮) in Nantou County, Soong said that Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) was also in Taichung, as both of them were sharing campaign work ahead of Saturday’s elections.

Soong said that if elected his administrative knowledge and Gou’s expertise in technology and innovation would become twin pillars on which Taiwan’s success would be built.

SUPPORTIVE DAUGHTER

Meanwhile, Soong’s daughter, Soong Cheng-mai (宋鎮邁), on Monday evening showed support for her father on Facebook.

Using the analogy of a smartphone updating its software based on existing infrastructure, Soong Cheng-mai said that her father, despite being described as “fond of reminiscing,” would be able to bring a unique perspective to issues, such as international relations, technological innovation and administrative efficacy, because of his experiences.

While Taiwanese claim to be proud of the nation’s democratic system of government, every election sees voters make a beeline for the polar opposites of the spectrum, she said.

CONSTRAINED

“Because of their extreme dislike and mistrust of each other, the supporters of the pan-green and pan-blue camps only cast their ballots to vote the other one out of power,” she said.

Citing her experience as a manager of a small company, Soong Cheng-mai said that during an election, Taiwanese should not have to sacrifice standards or innovation, or constrain themselves to party size or seniority.

She said she is proud of her father for not abandoning his principles or his belief in building a dignified government that would offer security for young people to pursue their dreams and effect change.

“Change begins with action,” she said, calling for people to support the PFP and her father’s presidential bid.

Additional reporting by Hsieh Chieh-yu


title: Australia races to contain blazes as heat wave looms

content_text:
Firefighters take a break as they await an approaching fire in Towanba, Australia, yesterday.Photo: Reuters
Firefighters yesterday raced to contain massive bushfires in southeastern Australia, taking advantage of a brief drop in temperatures and some much-needed rainfall before another heat wave strikes later this week.

Exhausted volunteers cleared ground vegetation and carried out controlled burns before temperatures and winds were expected to pick up again by Friday.

“It really is about shoring up protection to limit the damage potential and the outbreak of the fires over the coming days,” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.

He described conditions as “much more favorable,” but said that “we are expecting hotter weather to return later in the week.”

Dozens of vast blazes continue to burn out of control across the east of the country and there are growing fears that two fires in New South Wales and Victoria states could connect to form another uncontrollable mega-blaze.

Rainfall on Monday offered modest relief, but it was not heavy enough in most areas to extinguish the fires and in some places it hampered firefighters’ preparations by making back-burning more difficult.

Twenty-five people have died since the start of the disaster in September last year, more than 1,800 homes have been destroyed and about 8 million hectares have burned, an area the size of Ireland or South Carolina.

Smoke from the fires has been spotted more than 12,000km away in Chile and Argentina, weather authorities in the South American countries said.

The cost of the disaster is still not clear, but the Insurance Council of Australia said that claims worth A$700 million (US$482.4 million) had already been filed and the figure was expected to climb significantly.

The government has earmarked an initial A$2 billion for a national recovery fund to help devastated communities.

Conditions over the next week are not expected to match the worst days of the crisis, but Fitzsimmons told Australian Broadcasting Corp that it was important not to “get lulled into a false sense of security.”

There were some faint signs yesterday that a reprieve might be on the way, as Tropical Cyclone Blake carried heavy rain to the northwestern coast.

Blake is not expected to affect the bushfires raging in other parts of the massive country, but could signal a change in hot and dry conditions that have fueled the fires.

“It was nice to see a cyclone forming. I shouldn’t say that — hopefully no damage — but it was nice to see a cyclone forming up the top end of [Western Australia],” Fitzsimmons said.

“Hopefully [it is] a signal that we may see monsoon activity, which will disrupt the dominant hot air mass continuing to influence so much of the weather,” he added.

Meanwhile, police said that they had arrested three people for alleged offenses in bushfire areas as authorities sought to crack down on isolated incidents of looting.

“We are not living in South-Central LA [Los Angeles], we are not living in Syria… We don’t do this to each other,” New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Service David Elliott said.

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title: World News Quick Take

content_text:
INDONESIA

Quake hits off west coast

A strong earthquake hit off the western coast in the Indian Ocean yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The US Geological Survey reported that the magnitude 6.2 earthquake was centered in the sea at a depth of 20km about 16.7km southwest of Sinabang town of Aceh Province. Rahmat Triyono, who heads the earthquake and tsunami center at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, said there was no risk of a tsunami from the quake and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Residents in Sinabang felt a moderate tremor for a few seconds, while people in Aceh provincial capital of Banda Aceh did not feel the earthquake. The national disaster agency said it was gathering information on any damage that might have been caused by the quake.

SINGAPORE

Baby found in garbage chute

Garbage collectors rescued a baby from a bin at the bottom of a trash chute yesterday, a lawmaker and media said, a rare case in the wealthy city-state. Refuse workers found the baby in a bloody plastic bag while clearing the garbage chute, the Straits Times said, quoting one who said the baby was crying when discovered. Photographs from the scene showed a man cradling a baby, cleaners inspecting a bin and police cordons at the block. Police said in a statement that the child, found in a stable condition with no visible injuries, had been taken to hospital. They did not identify the area where he was found, and said they were investigating the matter. “A baby was found alive by one of our town council cleaners in the bin chute,” politician Pritam Singh said, adding that he had been told by the town council.

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title: NASA planet hunter finds world in habitable zone

content_text:
NASA on Monday said that its planet hunting Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) had discovered an Earth-sized world within the habitable range of its star, which could allow the presence of liquid water.

The planet, named “TOI 700 d,” is relatively close to Earth — 100 light years away, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced at the annual American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“TESS was designed and launched specifically to find Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars,” NASA astrophysics division director Paul Hertz said.

TESS initially misclassified the star, which meant the planets appeared larger and hotter than they actually are, but several amateur astronomers, including high-school student Alton Spencer — who works with members of the TESS team — identified the error.

“When we corrected the star’s parameters, the sizes of its planets dropped, and we realized the outermost one was about the size of Earth and in the habitable zone,” said Emily Gilbert, a graduate student at the University of Chicago.

The find was later confirmed by the Spitzer Space Telescope.

A few other similar planets have been discovered before, notably by the former Kepler Space Telescope, but this is the first discovered by TESS, which was launched in 2018.

TESS stabilizes on one area of the sky to detect whether objects — planets — pass in front of stars, which causes a temporary drop in the stars’ luminosity. This allows TESS to infer the presence of a planet, its size and orbit.

Star TOI 700 is small, about 40 percent of our sun’s size and only about half as hot.

TESS discovered three planets in orbit, named TOI 700 b, c and d. Only TOI 700 d is in the so-called habitable zone, not too far from and not too close to the star, where the temperature could allow the presence of liquid water.

It is about 20 percent larger than Earth, orbits its star in 37 days and receives 86 percent of the energy that Earth receives from the sun.

It remains to be seen what TOI 700 d is made of. Researchers have generated models based on the size and type of star to predict its atmospheric composition and surface temperature.

In one simulation, NASA said that the planet is covered in oceans with a “dense, carbon-dioxide-dominated atmosphere similar to what scientists suspect surrounded Mars when it was young.”

The planet is tidally locked to the star, meaning that one side always faces the star, as is the case with the moon and Earth.

This synchronous rotation meant that, in another model, one side of the planet was constantly covered in clouds.

A third simulation predicted an all-land world, where winds flow from the planet’s dark side to its light one.

Multiple astronomers are to observe the planet with other instruments to obtain new data that could match one of NASA’s models.

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content_text:
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title: The Liberty News - 自由新聞報新聞網


content_text:
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title: 「健康醫療」 - 相關新聞


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title: 台灣環境資訊協會-環境資訊中心


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韓國「國民初戀」秀智過去以女團Miss A成員出道，近年來轉以戲劇演出為中心的她，已經不常見到她歌唱跳舞的模樣。她昨天（23）晚上罕見地在個人社群平台上上傳兩段與編舞家好友一起練舞的短片，雖然穿著隨性，卻不時露出一大截腰腹非常火辣。...
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title: 自由電子報iStyle時尚美妝頻道


content_text:
黑鷹直升機失事造成已故8名將士殉職，台北賓館開放民眾前往弔唁，時間至今(7)日晚間9點為止。國防部長嚴德發下午結束赴苗栗探視已故侍從官黃聖航家屬後，傍晚前往台北賓館向沈一鳴致意。

嚴德發站在沈一鳴的生平...(觀看更多)

title: 中國廣播公司全球資訊網


content_text:
2020年01月08日
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 新北市選舉人人數332萬人最多 其次為高雄市近230萬人 台北市及台中市皆超過200萬人
台北7日電
 總統立委選舉11日投票，中選會今天說，這次總統副總統選舉人人數為1931萬1105人，不分區立委選舉人人數為1931萬2105人，區域立委選舉人人數為1880萬6913人；

taiwan-subdivisions: 宜蘭 花蓮 新北市 高雄市

title: 更生日報 宜蘭花蓮台東新聞全國新聞


content_text: 中華郵政帳戶可每月定額扣款，若想做此設定，請直接email，或在平日9:30到下午5:30上班時間，來電：0908-885-132，找行政人員陳玥靜洽詢。

title: 焦點事件 | 聚焦事件，超越事件


content_text:
昔日大漠英雄靈堂弔唁沈總長 向殉職將士致敬

記者鄭豪、謝沛宸、陳俊鈞／臺北報導
 國軍黑鷹直升機失事，造成參謀總長沈一鳴上將等8名將士殉職，近50位曾擔任大漠特遣隊

journalist: 鄭豪、謝沛宸、陳俊鈞

title: 國防部青年日報社 - 軍事新聞網


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taiwan-subdivisions: 中正區 臺北市

title: 最新消息 | 政府資料開放平臺


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美防敏感技術外流中國 限制AI軟體出口! ｜主播陳韋如｜【非凡Morning Call】20200107｜非凡新聞
川普急了?拉攏中國簽協議 科技股救援美股! 油價飆高 一度漲破70美元創9個月高｜主播鄧凱銘｜【非凡Morning Call】20200107｜非凡新聞

title: USTV 非凡電視台


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本網站使用相關技術提供更好的閱讀體驗，同時尊重使用者隱私，點這裡瞭解中央社隱私聲明。當您關閉此視窗，代表您同意上述規範。
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title: 兩岸


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“官宣”了！香港“勇武派”宣布全面退出抗爭
從7日淩晨開始，不管是在臉書上還是在連登論壇上，亂港分子都聚在一起“熱烈討論”一件事：“勇武派”宣布全面退場，“勇武”小隊也出現解散潮。這是自香港反修例風波以來，首次出現“勇武派”退場！

被亂港分子利用嫁禍港警的“女鬼”，昨晚發聲了！
元旦港島遊行期間，黑衣暴徒大肆破壞灣仔一家中資企業，現場有黑衣人被遊行人士指認是“鬼”。黃絲文宣隨後大肆炒作企圖嫁禍警察。然而時隔一周，這只“鬼”發聲強調自己是“女勇武”，不是“鬼”。

【美伊衝突】俄媒：美國“民主衛士”的人設崩了
“今日俄羅斯”6日刊登《帝國徹底暴露：索萊曼尼之死揭開了美國的謊言》一文。文章指，幾十年來，扛著民主大旗的美國在世人眼皮底下竊取不少國家的主權。索萊曼尼之死如同一場大雪，讓美國這頭野獸的蹤跡徹底暴露。

countries: 中國 香港 美國 俄羅斯

title: 香港新聞網-香港中國通訊社主辦 www.hkcna.hk


content_text: 2020年1月11日台灣將舉行總統大選及立法委員選舉，因民粹主義興起、中美貿易戰、香港示威及中國強硬表態「一國兩制台灣方案「等，台灣大選撲朔迷離。

countries: 香港 中國 台灣

title: 主頁 - BBC News 中文


content_text: 「這是正義的一刻！」本週一（1/6），好萊塢製片人韋恩斯坦（Harvey Weinstein）的強暴案於紐約開始審判，美國演員蘿絲·麥高文（Rose McGowan）與其他指控者也在曼哈頓法院外高舉「給倖存者一個公道」的手舉牌。韋恩斯坦，這位遭70多名婦女指控性侵與性騷擾並且引爆全球#MeToo運動的製片人，如今面臨五項指控，最高可能被判處終身監禁。

events: 性侵 性騷擾

title: 苦勞網


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鼓勵青年在屏東發展，縣府推出「屏東好貼薪」、「青創好夥伴」、「縣府挺起家」協助青年就業、創業、安居在屏東！
...詳全文

taiwan-subdivisions: 屏東縣 屏東

title: 屏東縣政府全球資訊網


經濟部國際貿易局 ::: 新聞稿


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title: 台灣好新聞 TaiwanHot.net


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內科交通有解！北市添利多 首都環型路網獲國發會通過
 內湖科學園區通勤人潮眾多，每逢上下班交通大打結，新捷運路線可望紓解！台北市捷運局6日宣布，「捷運東環段可行性研究」已獲國家發展委員會審議通過...〈more〉

title: 地產天下 - 自由電子報


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焦點影片
台灣第一個事實查核中心正式成立，本中心由台灣媒體觀察教育基金會與優質新聞發展協會共同支持成立。台灣事實查核中心希望藉由專業且嚴謹的團隊來查核不實資訊，重建大眾對於新聞品質的信任。

詳情

title: 台灣事實查核中心


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周一，數十萬人在伊朗首都德黑蘭為蘇萊曼尼將軍送葬，伊朗官員已召國民團結一致，並威脅對美國殺害這位強大的軍事領袖進行報復。

伊朗將領蘇萊曼尼送葬隊伍發生踩踏，致至少35人死亡 美國在伊朗人呼籲報復之際向中東增兵 制裁問題專家認為美國擴大伊朗相關制裁或收效甚微 影片：為何美國和伊朗都不想全面開戰？

countries: 伊朗 美國

title: 華爾街日報中文網_突發新聞，商業，經濟，金融，財經，國際新聞，多媒體，視頻_華爾街日報中文版_WSJ_The Wall Street Journal


taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄市 苓雅區 鳳山 光復 鳳山區

title: 高雄市政府全球資訊網-中文版


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地址：10055臺北市中正區徐州路5號 (位置圖)｜總機：1996 內政服務熱線；(02)8195-8151

IE請升級至9.0以上‧最佳螢幕解析度 1024x768

title: 新聞發布


content_text: 國民黨總統候選人韓國瑜，憂心選前對手會出奧步，親自召開記者會，把可能出現的選舉奧步劇情"提前公布"，也呼籲對手別走邪門歪道。

title: 中視全球資訊網


content_text:
Uber 與現代汽車合作 將開發電動空中計程車

 美國叫車軟體巨頭Uber與南韓現代汽車（Hyundai Motor）6日宣佈計劃合作開發電動空中計程車。...
 [more]

title: 汽車頻道-自由電子報